stomach troubles.. TMI

This may be too much info for some so please don't read if you're easily offended by less than appetising topics, but i'm convinced this problem is connected to running so i thought i might as well ask on here!

I'm currently training for a half marathon and train pretty hard (completely subjective obviously, i'm no mo farah) - it's my first but i'm not using that as an excuse to leisurely plod along haha. My bowels haven't been right for the whole of the past month and the only time i remember them being quite as volatile is when i was training similar distances and intensity in Novemeberish time last year (for no particular reason). Basically, my stools are always loose, I bloat and have gas quite a fair bit. I had a properly upset stomach this morning and experienced cramps during my long run.

I'm a vegan and don't rely heavily on wheat or anything else that generically seems to aggravate GI tract problems, so i don't think it's my diet. Could be wrong tho.

Is this just a normal, albeit irritating, part of running? Has anyone else noticed a correlation between training and stomach upsets?

There is apparently something called 'runners tum' or 'runners trots' (google it or search previous threads on here). A friend mentioned it to me after I told her I'd had a couple of runs recently where I had sudden onset of diarrhoea during the run. And I'm only running up to 6k so far.

It seems that different things help for different people, but try to cut fibre and /or fruit, dried fruit and fruit juice before a run and for the 6-12 hours beforehand (eg for a morning run, don't have fruit the evening before). Other people suggested dairy or wheat as culprits, but I guess different things affect different people.

Other suggestions were taking anti-diarrhoea tablets before your run on race day. And make sure you run near toilets, and know where they are. Our toilets at the beach where I run take 20p to open the door, so I have to make sure I have a 20p with me!

would say you had a fair point david, but i don't believe in God and think beef tastes awful.

thanks for the info runshonarun, i'll google it in a sec. will be difficult to cut fibre but i'll take it into account. im hoping it will have solved itself by race day but you never know, most of my hm will be off road so may make friends with some bushes (least it's free though!). how did you prevent it from happening again?

Running lentils - I'm not doing big distances and haven't been running all that long, so I'm not sure I have prevented it yet. Genuinely I take 20p on my runs so I can get into the loos! Was NOT impressed on Saturday afternoon to discover that despite the fact you have to pay to get in they are electronically locked at 4.30pm. There were still loads of people around at that time (4.40 was when I was trying to get in)!

Anyway, it is better if I get up, eat, umm, answer nature's call and then run about 1-2 hours after running. Not always practical of course, but I think leaving a good gap between eating and running helps. I was also having quite a lot of fruit so not having fruit prior to a run (bananas fine). I don't think fibre as such makes much difference to me - I think it is more the fruit sugars.

I think it comes down t trial and error - think about the runs it has been a problem and the ones it hasn't. What was the difference? Eg timing of meals, diet consumed, hydration.

Pure self indulgence borne from the security of having more food than you know what to do with.

Urm.. flawed argument. I'm partly a vegan because I'm aware there are places with not enough food; the food shortages experienced around the world could potentially be solved if the fields used to grow grain to feed cattle (to feed indulgent people in first world countries) were instead used to grow food for the people in poverty. Being a vegan isn't about self indulgence, it's about trying not to be self indulgent at the expense of others, animals and the environment.

Back on the topic of dicky stomach, i do actually drink quite a lot of coffee, so thanks for that- i'll cut back a bit this week and see if there's a difference.

runshonarun- you're completely right about trial and error, i'm making sure i keep mental note of everything i do differently on days when i run to see if i can spot something. the toilet situation sounds irritating, do you live in the south? only time i've ever had to pay was in London and that pissed me off

No, North Wales!!! The paying thing is very new though. And fair enough, I guess it at least means they're clean, but given the doors are locked and need 20p to open them, why stop people using them after 4.30pm??? I should write an angry letter to the council, but that would be turning me into someone I don't want to be...

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